Book Review: Death Note Vols. 8 and 9 by T. Ohba and T. Obata

Death Note Volume 8: Target story by Tsugumi Ohba and art by Takeshi Obata

MASSIVE SPOILER FROM THE PREVIOUS VOLUME AHEAD!!!

The narrative of the series took a big shift in the last volume when Light was able to pull off what seemed like it would be impossible, namely that L was killed. The story jumps ahead four years. It turns out that L's original home, an orphanage in England, has been developing other orphans to be just as brilliant. The headmaster offers the top two students, Mello and Near, to become the new L (specifically to hunt down Kira). Mello balks at sharing the job and leaves. Near starts a new investigative organization with the American government called SPK (Special Provisions for Kira). Mello joins a mafia group that works to find Kira or a Death Note to use for their own profit. Light leads L's Japanese investigation of Kira and resumes Kira's project of world peacemaking through mass slaughter. The mafia kidnap Light's younger sister in an attempt to blackmail their father (who is the head of Japanese police) into giving Mello the Death Note. The delivery, while incredibly complicated, goes off without a hitch, making the Americans mistrustful of the Japanese. Now Light has to cross swords with both Near and Mello as he tries to bring world peace by killing all the bad people.

I was very unhappy with the death of L and was not really sure the book could keep going without him. The creators found a way to split L in two so that there's a good half and a bad half. While not a great continuation, it's interesting enough for me to keep reading. Also, I know the series only runs to twelve volumes, so presumably resolution is not too far away.

Mildly recommended--if you've come this far, might as well go a little farther.

Death Note Volume 9: Contact story by Tsugumi Ohba and art by Takeshi Obata

The battle over the Death Notes continues as Light/Kira orchestrates an attack on Mello's headquarters. Mello is extremely clever and has a shinigami on his side. Light also has a shinigami, the one working with the task force (sort of--the shimigami makes comments and gives unhelpful answers to any question asked of him). Near is focused on capturing Kira and has his suspicions of Light's group. A lot of pieces get moved. The big problem is public opinion shifting in favor of Kira, making it harder to hunt him as governments start to pull away from the hunt.

Weirdly, the idea that governments are no long actively hunting Kira is taken as approval of Kira. The popular admiration for Kira quickly morphs into idolization, almost literally, as pro-Kira mobs call him their god and are ready to do his bidding, or at least to go after anyone who opposes him. I give the book points for trying to grapple with tough ideas, even if it doesn't know where to come down on them.

Recommended.